recipes.health.wellness.balance.lifestyle

Happy July everyone! This month always means lots of BBQ’s and summer shenanigans, which can turn into some less than healthy behavior. Am I right? So it’s a good idea to have a healthy recipe in your back pocket that is light, easy, DELICIOUS, and CHEAP! I think those are all of my favorite things in a recipe, and I’m assuming you’re on the same page. So say hello to my Cowboy Black Bean Burgers.

This recipe has become on of my most popular, without ever even making it onto the blog. Say what?

That’s because when I first got started writing recipes, I didn’t know the first thing about making a blog. I had to learn how to do this from scratch, and it’s still a work in progress. (Got any tips? I would love to hear them!) So I used to post a picture on good ol’ Instagram, and put the recipe right into the comments. They’re all still there too, so go back and check them out for some more inspiration!

This little baby was featured on the Sprouts grocery store Instagram page, and was most recently in Women’s Health Magazine! They have a section where they feature people from social media, and yours truly made the cut.

So I hope you’re a big fan of this recipe too! It’s savory and almost a little spicy, thanks to the Cowboy Caviar salsa that I use from Trader Joe’s. Don’t have access to a Traders? Try using any really chunky black bean and corn salsa, or try making your own with a some corn kernels, black beans, and your favorite regular salsa.

Oh, and for the photos I did a double batch of the recipe. Because why not? It’s cheap, it’s healthy, it’s mostly vegetarian, AND my husband loves them! Perfect in our book.

Divide into 4 mounds and shape into patties by flattening out and keeping them round. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. This helps the patty keep it’s shape while cooking.

Heat your countertop grill (like this Cuisinart Griddler 3-in-1 Grill and Panini Press) and spray with grapeseed oil spray. Cook two patties at a time, being careful not to smash your patties down too much. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then remove from grill and set aside. Alternately, you could cook them in a nonstick skillet, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Top a toasted bun with spinach, a black bean patty, tomato, and avocado. Add extra salsa if desired. Serve with a roasted corn, kick back, and pretend you’re a cowboy.

Notes

*if dairy-free, use a vegan cheese

**if gluten-free, use a gluten-free bun. We like the GF buns from Trader Joe’s!

I hope that you enjoyed this one as much as I do! Comments, questions, concerns? Leave them in the comments below or contact directly at me@samanthaelaine.net.